Can.



CAN.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 19o5.

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UNITED STATES VULLIAM A. SEXTON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed April 27, 1905. Serial No. 257,658-

the removal of the cover by any force that can be practically exerted against the edge of the flange in the direction required to detac it from the body of the can.

The invention has for its object to enable a frictionally-engaged can-cover to be readily loosened and detached from the can, so that it may be readily removed to expose the contents of the can without impairing the efficiency of the cover as a means for protecting the contents of the can from the atmosphere, so that the cover 'after being loosened and detached can be replaced to protect the contents of the can.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a can embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view showing a portion of the can. Fig. 1 represents a perspective vieW showing a portion of the cover after it has been ruptured and caused to release its hold on the can-body. Fig. 5 represents a perspective View of a portion of the can-body, showing a recess or indentation in the cover-flange seat for a purpose hereinafter described. Figs. 6 and 7 represent fragmentary perspective views showing a modification. Fig. 8 represents another modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 12 represents the body of a sheet-metal can, which may be of cylindrical or other shape and is provided with a contracted mouth, the edge 13 of which forms a cover-seat which is offset inwardly-from the body of the can entirely around the can, the said contracted mouth being here shown as connected with the body of the can by an inclined breast or connecting portion 14. The portion of the can-body immediately below the breast 1 1 constitutes a seat for the flange of the canecover.

15 represents the cover, which is formed to bear upon the cover-seat 13 and is made of such size that it projects outwardly from the seat, as shown in Fig. 2. The cover is provided with a flange 16, which is formed to have a tight frictional fit on the said flangeseat, so that in order to apply the cover to the can and cause the cover to come to a bearing on the seat 13 heavy pressure must be applied to the top surface of the cover, this pressure causing such a close engagement of the cover-flange with its seat as to prevent the displacement of the cover by any pressure that can be practically exerted against the lower edge ofits flange. ltwill be seen that the cover overhangs the seat 13 to such an extent that a space 17 is formed between the base of the flange and the cover-seat 13. The width of this space is such that the outwardlyprojecting portion of the cover may be cut away or interrupted outside of the portion of the cover which bears upon the seat 13 without interfering with the portion of the cover which bears upon the seat. Hence any aperture in the flange interrupting its continuity will not affect the tightness of the joint formed by the bearing of the cover upon the seat 13.

In Figs. 1, 3, and L I show the cover-flange provided with an aperture 18, which extends from the flange-base partly across the same and terminates between the base and the lower edge of the flange, so that the continuity of the lower edge of the flange is preserved by a narrow strip 19 below the aperture 18. When this strip is severed, as shown in Fig. 4, the frictional hold of the flange on the can-body is released and the cover may be freely removed from the can-body. It will be seen, however, that the aperture 18 is wholly outside the part of the cover which bears upon the cover-seat 13. Hence the cover may be replaced upon its seat to protect the contents of the can, without, however, being reattached to the can-body.

1f desired, the portion of the can-body which forms the flange-seat may be provided with a recess or indentation 20, as shown in Fig. 5, so that if the cover is applied to the can-body with its aperture 18 coinciding with the recess 20 the strip 19 will extend across the recess, the latter permitting a severingtool to be inserted behind the strip for the purpose of severing the same.

The cover is preferably provided with a From the foregoing it will be seen that provision is made for tightly closing and sealing the can simply by the operation of forcing the cover to place on the can and for releasing the cover and permitting its free removalby severing the narrow portion of the flange between the orifice l8 and the lower edge of the flange.

In Fig. 2 I show in dotted lines a severing toolor blade 23 inserted in the portion of the cover which overhangs the space 17 outside the cover-seat 13. It will be seen, therefore, that the continuity of the cover-flange may be interrupted by an orifice formed after the cover has been applied to the can-body, the tool 23 first puncturing the overhanging portion of the cover and being then moved downwardly to sever the flange. It is obvious, however, that the operation of releasing the cover may be more conveniently performed if the cover is provided with the orifice 18 prior to its application to the can-body.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show the can-body provided with a cover-seat 130 a portion only of which is offset inwardly from the flangeseat, this portion being the upper end 131 of a recess or indentation 132 formed in the flangeseat. Excepting at the recess 132, the flangeseat extends to the cover-seat. The cover may be provided with an orifice 133, extending from the base of the flange partly across the same, said orifice coinciding with the recess 132, so that a cutting-tool may be conveniently applied to the flange to continue the orifice 133 entirely across the flange, and thus release it from its hold on the can-body. It will be seen that in this modification a portion of the cover overhangs a portion of the cover-seat, so that the orifice 133 in the base of the cover-flange does not encroach upon that portion of the cover which bears upon the cover-seat.

In Fig. 8 I show the flange 16 provided with a slot 134 extending entirely across the flange. 135 is a sheet-metal strip detachably secured to the flange at opposite sides of the slot by a soft solder, said strip constituting an equivalent of the part 19. When the strip 135 is separated from the flange at one side of the slot, the hold of the cover on the can-body is released.

I claim- 1. A can comprising in combination a body having a cover-flange seat, and a cover-seat or month, which is offset inwardly from the flange-seat, and a cover formed to bear upon the cover-seat and having a flange the lower portion of which has an unyielding continuous bearing on the cover-seat, while the upper portion is interrupted by a cutter-receiving opening communicating with the space between the upper portion of the flange and the inwardly-offset cover-seat, whereby a cutter may be inserted in said space to sever the continuous lower portion of the flange.

2. A can comprising a body having a coverflange seat and a contracted mouth above said seat, the upper edge of said mouth forming a cover-seat which is inwardly offset from the flange-seat entirely around the can-body,while the flange-seat is provided with an indentation or recess, and a cover having an orifice extending from the base of the flange partly to its lower edge and separated from said lower edge by a narrow portion of the flange extending across said recess.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my sig nature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. SEXTON. Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, E. BATOHELDER. 

